The Affair of the Scarlet Band
The Affair of the Scarlet Band is a short story featuring Dr Augustus Vane which was published in Britannia and Eve magazine in April 1941 and in the Canadian magazine Maclean's on 15 July 1941. This story was not included in the collection Dr. Vane Answers the Call. Synopsis Major Ludlow consults Dr Vane with a particularly thorny puzzle. German aircraft appear to be having no difficulty finding and bombing the secret airfield of Bramble Nasing despite the fact that it is heavily camouflaged. Dr Vane discovers that the method used is one which, in Major Ludlow's words, defied detection because of its very simplicity. Plot (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read) Major Ludlow approaches Dr Vane with a puzzle. The airfield at Bramble Nasing was an important facility where testing of experimental aircraft types was carried out. As such, it was heavily camouflaged, so much so that the British pilots stationed there sometimes mention their difficulty finding their way back. Yet on at least five occasions, German bombers had found the field and bombed it. One German bomber had been shot down and its pilot captured. The pilot admitted that he did not know the local area. There had also been no markings on his map. Following this, the field was camouflaged again and its appearance changed. So effective was this that a test pilot overshot the landing area and damaged his aircraft. However a German bomber yet again found the target and bombed it. After studying a map and some aerial photographs, Vane decides to go to Bramble Nasing. Instead of studying the buildings of the airfield, he preferred to walk around the perimeter, admiring the poppies. He then took a long walk towards the south, over a area of rising ground and down into a field of mustard. Feeling tired, he suggests that they ask for a drink at the farmhouse in the near distance. Approaching the farmhouse, Vane notes that the farm is untidy, either because the farmer didn't care or didn't know his job. Vane asks Ludlow to be ready with his gun, but not to touch it as he knew they were being watched. There is a fierce dog and the farmer is unfriendly. After getting a drink from the reluctant farmer, they walk away. Vane tells Ludlow the man is a German agent and there are at least two others in the house. He suggests that Ludlow call for reinforcements and leave the arrest and possible fighting to them. Vane explains how the enemy pilots found the airfield and he came to his conclusions. The airfield was surrounded by a band of red poppy flowers. Everybody had seen it, and nobody noticed it because it was so natural to expect poppies in fields. Regardless of the camouflaged buildings, all the bombers had to do was drop their bombs within the ring of flowers. Poppy seeds were small and light and the farmer could easily plant the ring by simply walking around the airfield. Even if he was later arrested, the poppies would still be there. Other features had been laid to help the enemy pilots. As they crossed the coast, they would first follow a railway line to the locality. Then there are various patches of vegetation laid out in the shape of a giant arrow. First there had been a field of yellow mustard. Then there was another patch which the farmer had treated with sodium nitrate, a fertilizer, so that it would show up with a richer colour than the surrounding grass. Beyond it was a patch of heather. The farmer had treated part of it with sodium chlorate, a weed killer and this made a part of the vegetation die off. Characters *Dr Augustus Vane *Major Ludlow *Georgette Aircraft *Various German bombers. A "Junkers" is mentioned, probably a Junkers Ju 88. Ships Places Visited *Bramble Nasing Research Notes Publication History *Britannia and Eve magazine, April 1941 *Maclean's, 15 July 1941 *Biggles Flies Again Vol. 3 No. 4 (July 2010) and Biggles Flies Again Vol. 3 No. 5 (Oct 2010) - in two parts References External Links *Archive of Maclean's 15 July 1941 Category:Dr Vane short stories Category:Short stories Category:Adult short stories